


What colour is the sky?

by ElopeToTheSea



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Colors, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, everything is black and white till you meet your soulmate, or whatever is called that AU, thing is Nico suffers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-05
Updated: 2015-04-05
Packaged: 2018-03-21 10:44:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3689277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElopeToTheSea/pseuds/ElopeToTheSea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When your hands touch with your fated one, colours bloom before your eyes. </p><p>Nico di Angelo met Percy Jackson with a wrong text message. He never imagined he would end up like this.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What colour is the sky?

When he first started talking to Percy, he never imagined this.

It all started with a wrong cellphone number.

[hey Annabeth!]

[it's me ! percy!]

The screen of his cellphone lit up, in the middle of the night.

Of course at that time he was watching a super hero movie in his laptop, and didn't want to be bothered.

He tried to ignore it, but it kept buzzing.

[the one in the library?]

[look, if the thing on the shelves freaked you out...]

He paused the movie and answered.

(wrong number)

He threw his phone at the other side of the bed, trying to focus, once again on his movie.

It continued making noise so he gave up, closed his laptop, and looked at the messages.

[Oh gods! sorry!]

[man, I can't believe she gave me a wrong number]

[I only wanted some help!]  
[do you know her?>

(no)

(shut up)

(I'm watching a movie)

[oh! awesome ! what movie?]

Apparently the boy didn't understand that he wanted him to shut up.

He found himself answering.

(Avengers)

[i love that movie! Hulk is awesome !]

[ugh, duh]

(of course you love it)

(Avengers are cool)

(i prefer Iron man, tho)

[yeah, rich man and smart, who doesn't like him]

(you forgot handsome)

[dude hes got an awesome girlfriend]

[i want a girlfriend that badass]

He felt uncomfortable, but decided to ignore it.

(good luck with that)

(that kind of girl is impossible to find)

[yeah]

[beside she would probably kick my ass before anyone elses]

(yeah, real fun)

He glanced at the clock on his desk.

(hey)

(don't you have homework to do at 130 in the morning?)

(or are you going to procrastinate sending messages to a total stranger all night?)

[Crap]

He snorted.

[Annabeth was supposed to help me!]

[but she gave me a wrong number!]  
(help you with what)

[maths exam]

[we have one tomorrow]

[well, today.]

(if it helps)

(if I were her I would have given you a wrong number too)

[yeah it helps a lot...]

[do you by any chance have the slight idea of how to do algebra?]  
[the x seems to be lost]

He laughed a bit again, but blamed it to the lack of sleep.

(i could help if you show me)

When the boy, Percy (He read on the top of the conversation), sent him the picture, he wanted to hit him.

(really?)

[what]

(dude)

(this are basically from middle school)

(how can you NOT know them)

[dyslexia, ADHD]

(well, i have dyslexia too)

(and i know more than this)

[i also fell asleep three classes]

He spent the rest of the night tutoring a six years old kid.

When he got to school he had bags under his eyes, bigger than normal, almost fell asleep in math class, and slept during history and English.

He skipped the rest of the classes, not feeling all that well.

Somewhere around eleven or twelve, he got a message.

[thanks!]

[you saved me!]  
[i actually answered the exam]

[and not the usual "please have mercy">

[an actual answer]

[thanks]

He felt a smile on his lips, and quickly frowned.

(wow)

(i didn't know i was that good)

(maybe i'll put a business)

(if i helped you)

(i could teach a blind man to read)

[yeah, funny]

He suppressed the smile on time.

[i dont think BMPT can be a name]

  
(BMPT?)

[Best Math Phone Tutor]

He laughed.

(so creative)

(...)

(Nico)

[what]

(That's my name)

(Nico)

[Oh! Perfect! Thanks, Nico!]  
He swore the funny feeling in his stomach was hunger.

As soon as he reached home, he got a message.

[know anything about literature?]

Nico sighed, but still smiled.

"So my baby brother is in love" A voice called from behind.

He quickly hid the cellphone behind.

"Bianca, please."

"I know, I know, I just worry..."Her tone was teasing.

"It's just a boy who needs help with his literature homework because he is too stupid to get it"

"Yeah, I get" She sighed. "Come down for dinner. Mother is waiting."

He saw her back as she left. He wondered what color her hair was, and what color her eyes were. Mom said they were brown. He wanted to know what that meant. They were a shade of black, but it was still kind of dull. One day, he was sure of it, he would find out.

The phone buzzed again.

[so?]

He grinned.

(a bit)

(i hope you dont expect me to teach you all the subjects)

[of course not!]

[i can ace p.e.]

[and arts]

[well]

[probably after the incident with the paint and the fan...]

[ok i can ace p.e.]

Nico rolled his eyes, and walked down the stairs.

For some reason he felt his chest about to burst.

(really?)

(how comes?)

(i was sure you were the kind who always ended up hitting someone)

(or hurting himself)

[i didnt injure anyone this semester thankyou]

(this?)

[clarisse was asking for it]

[thats beside the point]

[im in the basketball team]

[we make it to the nationals]

[all the team kinda aced]

(figured so)

(what do you not understand)

[everything]

Nico sighed.

(so just like)

(today morning it seems)

[im getting tired of texting you]

[got skype?]

Nico almost dropped the plate. He ran to the computer, ignoring his sister's complains. Mom was calm and happy like always.

He turned it on, and quickly typed the skype on the cellphone.

(yeah)

(here)

(ghostking666)

[cool name]

(shut up)

(it was my sister's idea)

(yours?)

[helpimafish123]

(...)

(no comment)

[its a good movie]

(if you are six)

(yeah i see your point)

[hey!]

Nico logged in, and started typing.

ghostking666< so

ghostking666< you wanted help?

helpimafish123< yes please !

ghostking666< ok

ghostking666< im home schooled btw

ghostking666< idk what they teach you

helpimafish123< homeschooled?

helpimafish123< why?

helpimafish123< problem child?

ghostking666< kinda

ghostking666< i used to at least

Nico omitted the part that he had been ill half of the time when he was younger.

ghostking666< i go to school now

ghostking666< but my dad kinda taught me more than they do in school

ghostking666< so i know a little more than the rest

helpimafish123< that must be hard

helpimafish123< wait

helpimafish123< you r telling me you are smartest that Annabeth?

ghostking666< not really sure

 ghostking666< it depends

ghostking666< annabeth how old is she?

ghostking666< if she is older i have no doubt she is

helpimafish123< shes 16 just like me

helpimafsih123< almost 17

Nico's eyes shot open, and he felr weird, colder than usual.

ghostking666< shit

helpimafish123< what

ghostking666< well

ghostking666< it seems im tutoring a kid three years older than me

helpimafish123< what

ghostking666< im so going to kill my father

ghostking666< again

ghostking666< i cant believe he made me three years more advanced than a normal one!

ghostking666< well

ghostking666< if its you i bet you are barely above average but still

helpimafish123< rude

ghostking666< that explains why its been so easy

ghostking666< shit

helpimafish< well

helpimafish123< idc if you are a kindergarden child who doesnt know how to colour inside the lines

helpimafish123< help

helpimafish123< i need it

ghostking666< yeah you do

helpimafish123< turn on you camera

ghostking666< yeah ok

ghostking666<  just dont freak out

helpimafish123< i wont

ghostking666< i need you for my literature class

Nico sighed, completely sure he would regret it, but decided that it didn't matter.

He turned the camera on.

His words got stuck in the middle of his throat as he saw Percy.

Fuck. Was his only thought.

He blushed, but tried to keep a straight face.

"Nico!" His voice was cheerful, but not overly cheerful, just happy enough to light the room. "Thank gods! You need to help !"

Nico was surprise Percy didn't freak out with his appearance. He was wearing a skull t-shirt, and had bag under his eyes. The room was clean but extremely dark, for the simple fact that he was too lazy to turn the light on.

Percy seemed the complete opposite. His room was a mess, and perfectly illuminated, and a lot of candy wrappings all over the desk he was studying in.

"Ok." He said tiredly. "Let's start; I need to get some sleep ASAP"

* * *

(what do you mean you cant help me?!)

Nico was frustrated.

(the only time i need help you cant help!)

[calm down Nico!]

(i need to finish this by tomorrow noon)

(and i still dont undesrtand!)

[ok yeah]

[thats difficult]

[and also have problems with informatics]

(define problem)

[...]

[the point is]

(percesus jackson!)

(you promised you would help!)

[i promised i would find a solution]

[which i did]

(then?)

[ I cant help you but i know someone who can]

(?)

[meet me at the library]

[is time you meet a lifesaver]

(what)

[annabeth chase is the only one who can save you now]

(stop being a drama queen and tell me at what time)

[yeah yeah]

[meet us at five]

* * *

Nico tried not to be nervous, but it was practically impossible. It had been almost a year since he first met Percy via wrong text message. Over the time he had helped him with countless homework and exams, before Percy started hanging out with Annabeth, who proved to be a better tutor then him. That was kind of obvious, she was three years older than him, and could teach Percy in person. After that Percy usually talked to him about more personal things, such as who was his family (a sister named Bianca, a loving mother divorced of a creepy dad, who was kind of loving in his own...weird way) and he learned a lot from Percy (and his weird father named Bowlfish) Talking to Percy was the funniest moment of the day, and it made his heart burst every time the cellphone buzzed.

Even so, they had never, actually met. Text messages, yes. Online conversations, yes. Skype calls, absolutely.

Met in person? Not a way.

Now, he could finally meet him.

"Over here, Nico!"

Gods...He was far more perfect in real life. He wished he could see what colour his eyes were, and wondered if his hair was as soft as it seemed.

"Hi." He said with a neutral expression, as he sat down next to him. There was a girl next to Percy. She had curly hair and it might be a light colour, as well as her eyes for what he could see.

A pair of gloves covered her hands.

Nico frowned. He always thought wearing gloves was stupid. Some used them to avoid touching people, and never guess who their soulmate was.

It was stupid, at the end of the day they would meet them, and it would only hurt more to fall in love with a person, and then find out you aren't supposed to be together forever.

"So, you friend?" He asked, looking around.

"Oh! Annabeth is here!" He pointed at the girl next to him. "She's incredibly smart! I think she can help you!"

Annabeth turned towards him and smiled. She took out her hand.

"Nice to meet you...Nico, right?"

He nodded, and took her hand.

"Yeah...You know about technology?"

She laughed a bit, and nodded.

"Yeah"

"You have a nice laugh..."

Ok, probably that didn't come out how he wanted.

He was trying to be nice, as Bianca always told him to be to the ladies. Unfortunately that might have sound a little bit different than polite. He decided not to care about it.

"Thanks..."She said a bit uneasy. Well, that was to be expected, not all days a fourteen years old kid tries to hit on you. (Which he wasn't but oh well)

Annabeth turned out to help him perfectly. He hated informatics...and all that had to deal with a computer for more than tumblr, or the occasional online shopping.

Percy had ditched them as soon as he started talking with Annabeth, to go outside to play basketball, so he was able to properly focus in the explanation.

"Thanks, Annabeth..." He sighed as he finished saving the program. "I would have been death if you hadn't helped me."

"Don't worry. It's the least I can do after you taught Percy the basics of math." She smiled.

"He has the mind of a kid." He said rolling his eyes. "Easily distracted yes, but not impossible to teach."

"We should be going before he hurts himself..."She said and Nico agreed.

Fortunately, he didn't break his bones, or cut himself open, so Nico felt relieved.

"Do you need us to walk you home?" Nico asked worriedly. Annabeth laughed.

"I can take care of myself, kid. "

"Are you sure? " Annabeth was a girl after all.

"I told you not to worry. Besides, my house is near" She looked at Percy."Make sure he doesn't get lost."

"Don't worry, I will."

"I was talking to Nico."

Nico laughed a bit.

"Was Annabeth helpful?" He asked Nico once Annabeth had said goodbye, and were walking home.

"Yeah, she is fun too." He said. His heart was beating so fast he could barely hear a thing.

"Here is my home." Percy told him, as he stopped. "Yours?"

"Just a few blocks away." He pointed to his left. "I'll be fine."

"It was nice to meet you." Percy smiled and patted Nicos back.

"I could same the same."Nico smiled a bit, but in the dim light of the sunset it was hard to see.

He was about to go, when they hand touched. Lightly, a brief touch ,that could have been easily missed, if it weren't for the colours.

In a moment, Nico's eyes filled with tears, as well as colour.

The sun was bright, and yellow, turning orange as it hid in the mountains. Percy might have been talking, but he couldn't hear, much less talk. His throat was burning, he wanted to scream, and laugh, and cry, all at the same time.

The world was filled with colours, a sky blue, and slowly turning dark. There were light in the city that shimmered with colours he couldn't even imagine. His skin was burning, and his hands tingled in excitement. His heartbeat was so hard; he could feel his ribs being bruised. It hurt a lot, but that didn’t matter.

He managed to find his voice, but when he actually used it, it broke.

"C-can you see it?" It was a whisper, but hoped Percy heard him.

Then the magic spell broke.

"See what?" Percy frowned. "Are you alright Nico?"

Nico dropped his head, covering his eyes with his hair, thanking everything that it was kind of long.

"Percy...Do you know what colour is the sky?"

"Blue? I think? That's what mom always says..."

"You have never seen what colour the sun really is?"

"Not so lucky. I doubt I'll find my soulmate till I'm thirty...You have?"

Nico shook his head.

"N-no..." His voice was breaking, but he could always blame that he was cold, or a not so fond memory. "I just...I always wanted to know what colour the sky is..."

"Well...If ever see it, I'll tell you."

"Ok...Goodbye."

He thanked every god he could think of, how dense Percy was.

The next day he didn't go to school, and turned off his cellphone.

He didn't even use his computer, and just spent the day in his bed.

When Bianca finally came home, and rushed over to his side he was a mess.

"What's wrong?" She asked, sitting down next to him.

He was only able to whisper a "His eyes were blue" before crying.

She hugged him, and didn't talk. She just listened, not that he could actually form sentences.

"He didn't know"

"I asked him"

"See what?"

"Bianca I'm scared!"

At some point, Bianca cried too. He made her swear nto to tell anyone, not even mother, much less father.

"Probably he just didn't realize he was seeing colours..."She tried. He tried to believe her words, but it wasn't really helpful.

He decided to sleep and hope for the best.

* * *

When he finally turns on the phone, there are at least ten messages from Percy.

They were silly, and only asking him if he was alright. He thought he might be able to live through it until...

[holy shit]

[annabeth eyes are gray]

[her hair is yellow]

[and she hit me]

[and told me she liked blue]

[nico i think my eyes are blue]

His father didn't ask when he bought him a new phone, about how he broke the other one. The next time he saw Percy and Annabeth, he wished them a happy future, and that night he fell asleep crying.

* * *

 "Hey, Nico..."Percy was standing next to him. A week had passed, but he could still hear his heart drumming, and hurting his chest. In the middle of the city, there were hundreds of light, each one a different colour. Percy wanted to see it; he wanted to see every colour now that he could. Nico didn't want to see them, it was a painful reminder, yet he found himself staring at the colorful building surrounding them. "You know? Annabeth's eyes are gray..."

Nico tried to act surprised, but he already knew what colour her eyes were. They were pretty, and couldn't look away from them.

"Yeah?" He drank from his soda, as Percy ate a cheeseburger. His nasty eating habits made him laugh. "What does gray look like?"

Percy started thinking; he stared at the sky, paying no mind at how Nico was trying to look away.

"You once asked me, what colour the sky is, right?" Nico cursed, but nodded. Something inside him broke when Percy smiled." Annabeth's eyes are grey! Like the storms clouds!" Percy laughed really hard as if he heard one of the best jokes in his life." That makes sense, you know? Annabeth is as fierce as one..."

Nico let out a huge sigh.

"I wish I could know what colour is that..."

He already knew.

“Why do you want to know what colour is the sky?” Percy asked frowning.

Nico looked up grey clouds were covering the city. Of course they reminded him of Annabeth.

“When my dad fell in love with another woman…He said he could finally see the colours. I asked him a ton of question about colours. What colour is the cupboard? What does red mean? Are mother’s eyes a pretty colour? All that kind of stuff…”Nico unconsciously moved his hands while talking, old habit he picked up from Bianca and mother. “But when I asked him, what colour the sky was, he stared at sighed. He said ‘That’s difficult child, the sky changes as fast as a person’s mood. The only way to find out is looking at it yourself.’” Nico imitated his father’s voice, making himself laugh at how silly it was.

Percy stared at the sky confused.

“I wonder, was it too hard just to answer ‘blue’?”

Nico suppressed a laugh.

“I thought so. That’s why I asked you. You won’t go around with deep stuff. You would actually answer.”

Yet Percy felt a little uneasy.

Yes, the sky was blue, but…It could also be the colour of Annabeth’s eyes.

“I think it looks better in grey.” That’s the last thing he said.

Nico pretended he didn’t hear.

* * *

It was raining that day.

Coming back from school waiting under the bus stop. The sky was grey, just like Annabeth’s eyes .That made Nico smile. He didn’t hate her, quite the contrary, she helped him with homework more than twice and she was a good girl. It wasn’t her fault that her boyfriend made him the most miserable person in the world.

“I hate rain…”He whispered leaning into de nearest pole, still under the roof of the bus stop.

“Yeah, I will be late for my exam, if this doesn’t stop.”

Confused, Nico looked up to see a boy standing next to him. His smile was so wide it hurt.

“Oh…Sorry, I was just whispering to myself.” He turned away, hoping the kid would just leave him alone.

“And I was just talking to you.” The boy stood up in front of him. “The rain is not going to stop soon, so why not be friendly?”

“I am not friendly.”Nico turned away.

“Yeah , yeah.” The boy rolled his eyes. “I can see with all the dark colours you are wearing, but I don’t want to pass the next ten minutes staring at the rain, that’s depressing.”

Nico blushed as he remembered that’s exactly what he had been doing.

“Forget it. I’m not talking to you.”

“Yes you are.”

“No, I’m not.”

“You are”

“I’m not!”

He glared at the boy, only to find out he was, in fact, talking to him.

The boy laughed.

“Oh, shut up.” He wanted to kill him.

The boy showed him his hand.

“Will Solace.”

Nico stared at the hand.

The rain was slowing down, so he pulled his hoodie up.

“I need to go, I’m running late.”

“Hey!”

“See you later, Solace.” He grinned, and ran to the other side of the street, not bothering to look at the other side.

A loud sound made him turn around, and a bright light made a shiver run down his spine.

He closed his eyes, hoping the gods to have mercy, but as always they seemed to ignore him completely.

When he opened his eyes, there was blood everywhere, broken crystals in the street and heard cries that were lauder than his heart beat.

He tried to move, but as soon as he sat down, his stomach made a weird tunr, and his head became fuzzy.

“Oh, gods…No…”He recognized that voice.

“W…Will…”Nico tried to yell, but his head was hot and everything was moving, his stomach was feeling funny, and there were black edges in his sight.

“Fuck…”Will kneeled down next to him, and Nico felt better for some reason. “Ev-everything will be fine…The amb-bulance is coming…”

Will was trembling, he could feel him shaking.

“I’m sorry…”Nico tried to keep his eyes opened. “Must be horrible to look at this...”

“You are bleeding, and you say ‘sorry’? Come on, don’t say that…Fuck…”

Will was still a kid, probably a year two at most older than him. The feeling of not being able to do a thing in these moments must be horrible.

“Hey, Will…”He stared at the clearing sky. The rain stopped, and almost all the clouds were gone. The sun was almost setting. “What colour is the sky?”

Will panicked, looking everywhere and worriedly searching for the answer in the sky.

“I-I don’t know…I-I still haven’t…”

Nico tried to laugh but his head kept pounding and the red burning feeling kept coming back.

“Don’t worry…”Nico watched the sky a few seconds more. Then he stared at Will. “I used to hate the colour of the sky…The one who made me see colours…Had the same eye colour…But the first thing he saw when he saw colours…wasn’t mine…”

He hoped Will understood, and by the pained look in his eyes, he knew he was.

“But this sky is…different. I’m happy it’s not grey or blue…” He smiled a bit at Will. “You know? You look like the sky right now…”

Will was confused, he wished he knew what the boy was trying to say, but everything was black and white. He tried to help him, but he only knew about pain killers, and cold medicine. Nothing like this…

“You are talking nonsense.” Will tried to make Nico stand up. “The ambulance is…”

“It won’t make it.” The look in the boy’s eyes made him shiver. It was helpless. “I already knew.”

“It will.”

“Nico.”

“What?”

“Nico di Angelo, that’s my name.”

Nico slowly closed his eyes, making Will panic. He took Nico’s hands in his, but when he reached there was no pulse.

Nico almost felt the warmth in Will’s hands. Maybe if they had touched, fates would have been kinder.

* * *

When he first started talking to Percy, he never imagined this.

He feels sorry for leaving Bianca, and wishes he had said something to Percy.

Annabeth might feel guilty if they ever found the note he wrote, and hopes Percy will help her feel better.

He’s sorry he never told Father an ‘I think you are cool’ or a ‘You are not a bad father’. He wonders if his stepmother will take care of him.

He wonders if his mother will meet him soon, but maybe not. He hopes not soon, at least.

When he first started talking to Percy, he never imagined he would hate the sky, and end up in it either.

* * *

In the funeral, there were far more people than Nico guessed they would in life.

“It was in his room.” Bianca said, once it was over.  She handed the piece of paper to Percy, who was hugging Annabeth. “Probably is cruel…But you deserve to know.”

She left with that, and probably never met again with the pair.

Annabeth looked at him confused, as Percy opened the letter.

 

_ The sky’s colour can be black. _

_ Like the time I finally realized what “black” truly meant.  _

_ The sky’s colour can be grey.  _

_ Like Annabeth’s eyes. But Annabeth’s are more beautiful. _

_ The sky’s colour can be orange.  _

_ Like the t-shirt of the summer camp dad sent me when I was a kid.  _

_ The sky’s colour changes all the time.  _

_ Ever since I found out what “colour” meant, there is only one colour I still hate.  _

_ ‘BLUE’ _

_ The sky’s colour can be blue.  _

_ Like Percy’s eyes. (Even if they look more like the sea.) _

_ But he will never know, I know.  _

_ After all, the one who taught me what “colour” means was him. _

 

 

 

* * *

It had been over ten years since that day, Annabeth was sitting in the hospital a child in her hands, and Percy sitting beside her, playing with the little girl’s hands.

 The doctor entered the room.

“So, Annabeth Jackson, right?” The doctor smiled.

“Yes, pleased to meet you.” Annabeth smiled as politely as she could. It was hard since she still felt weak and was a wreck.

The doctor smiled.

“Don’t worry, just checking to make sure everything is alright.”

The doctor checked some notes, and made sure everything was in order, before smiling.

“Everything is fine?” Percy asked.

“Yeah, no need to worry.” The doctor was about to leave, when the window caught his eye. “Can I ask you a question? Outside the medical thing…”

“Yes. What’s it?” Annabeth answered, Percy was too busy talking to the baby.

 “What colour is the sky?”

Percy froze.

Annabeth tried to stay composed.

“Blue, sir.” She answered.” Why do you ask?”

The doctor laughed bitterly.

“A bitter story of long ago…A boy asked me the exact same question, and I’ve been wondering the answer…”

“Haven’t found your soulmate?” Annabeth asked.

The doctor smiled, but there was no happiness in it.

“I…It’s complicated. I met this person, but they drifted away before I could get to touch their hand…I don’t know, but I can’t bring myself to try to find my soulmate after that…It just doesn’t feel right. Like if things had been different…”

“They might have been your soulmate?” Annabeth finished, sadly. She wasn’t dumb. The doctor nodded.

“They died.” For some reason he found telling the story easy this time. “I couldn’t do a thing…That’s…That’s why I studied medicine, I guess. I didn’t want to lose people like that again…”

Annabeth looked to the window.

“What’s your name by the way?”

“Will Solace.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry about the bad grammar, nobody helps me, and I almost completely lost this, and cried to sleep before finding out it actually saved.
> 
> Oh yeah, and this is as always to a lovely lady, who I love making suffer with my AU ideas...(fuck still need to finish like 153382093 more fanfics for her...)
> 
> oh well whatever!


End file.
